Tripod joints are used, for example, as side shafts of motor vehicles. The tripod joints are used for transmitting driving torques between two driving elements of a drive train. The tripod joints allow a relative displacement and a relative pivoting of the driving elements to be compensated for. In the case of side shafts of a motor vehicle, relative movements of this type are caused by spring deflections of the vehicle wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,628 describes a tripod joint having a joint outer part and a joint inner part held in the latter. The joint inner part has a tripod star having ball bodies having pins. The ball bodies are accommodated pivotably in a partially spherical universal ball joint of a pressure element and are therefore mounted pivotably with respect to the pressure element. The pressure element is mounted movably via rolling bearings with respect to the mating surfaces of the joint outer part.
The production of the recess in the pressure element for the purpose of forming the universal ball joint requires a high manufacturing outlay. In order to realize extensive bearing surfaces of the pressure element on the ball body, a curved surface is required to be manufactured with great precision. The installation of the ball body in the pressure element constitutes a further problem. Conventionally, a configuration of the connection as a bayonet connection is required for this purpose.